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Okay, if we accept that landlines are thing of the past and cellular service is the phone alternative then we pretty much accept the smartphone is involved. There do remain legitimate reasons to have one despite all of the privacy-destroying negatives.

So here is an alternative which would maintain the modern phone system, maintain the useful aspects (2-Factor Authentication apps, mobile banking deposits, etc...), yet stop the abuse of privacy and roadblock future (maybe near term) Orwellian abuses, digital vaccine passport apps coming first in mind.

Leave the smartphone on the desk at home. It becomes the new landline. Text messages and voicemail become the new answering machine.

Could we start a movement to this effect? Yes, there are so many conveniences afforded now such as navigation and whatnot but I clearly remember living just fine before cell phones existed.

What does Poal think?

Okay, if we accept that landlines are thing of the past and cellular service is the phone alternative then we pretty much accept the smartphone is involved. There do remain legitimate reasons to have one despite all of the privacy-destroying negatives. So here is an alternative which would maintain the modern phone system, maintain the useful aspects (2-Factor Authentication apps, mobile banking deposits, etc...), yet stop the abuse of privacy and roadblock future (maybe near term) Orwellian abuses, digital vaccine passport apps coming first in mind. Leave the smartphone on the desk at home. It becomes the new landline. Text messages and voicemail become the new answering machine. Could we start a movement to this effect? Yes, there are so many conveniences afforded now such as navigation and whatnot but I clearly remember living just fine before cell phones existed. What does Poal think?

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[–] • 2 pts

The problem is that everyone one else depends and expects you to have your phone on you at all times. I tried going to basic phone and even that was terrible when work people are sending me group texts, pictures or emails. But I wish we could go back to no cell phones.

[–] • 1 pt

This exactly. Once only mission-critical persons were contactable 24/7. Now we all are. There is no "away." But moreso there is about to be requirement to be digital at all times -- a hash-based version of "show me your papers, comrade" -- that society is voluntarily waltzing into. All because it's an assumed given that we carry these damned things and have no reason not to comply.